Section 15 1 Fruit and Vegetable Harvest and Postharvest Operations The following mind maps provide an outline that should be used in conjunction with the provided readings. A excellent additional reference is: “Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops” 2 nd Edition Edited by A.A.Kader, published by University of California, Publication 3311. The subjects covered by the mindmaps include: • harvesting • Transport to Packhouse • Packhouse operations o Sorting Colour Size o Packing • Quality Assurance o HACCP • Packaging (Additional note) EXERCISE: Using the Mindmaps as the basis, develop a more detailed summary of the readings provided. 1.0 REFERENCES Wong, L.S. & Bagshaw, J., 2001. Assessment of the postharvest handling system for broccoli grown in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland, Australia. In Postharvest Handling of Fresh Vegetables, Proceedings of a workshop held in Beijing, 2001. Pub by Australian Centre for International: Agricultural Research, Cnberra, 2001, pp26-32 Prussia, S.E. & Shewfelt, R.L. 1993. Systems Approach to Postharvest Handling. Chapter in Postharvest Handling – A systems approach. Ed. by Shewfelt & Prussia, Pub. by Academic Press, San Diego. pp43-71. Chakraverty, A. & Singh, R.P., 2001. Postharvest Technology, Cereals, Pulses, Fruit and Vegetables. Published by Science Publishers, Inc. Enfield, USA.
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Section 15
1
Fruit and Vegetable Harvest and Postharvest Operations
The following mind maps provide an outline that should be used in conjunction with the provided readings. A excellent additional reference is: “Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops” 2nd Edition Edited by A.A.Kader, published by University of California, Publication 3311. The subjects covered by the mindmaps include:
• harvesting • Transport to Packhouse • Packhouse operations
o Sorting Colour Size
o Packing • Quality Assurance
o HACCP • Packaging (Additional note)
EXERCISE: Using the Mindmaps as the basis, develop a more detailed summary of the readings provided. 1.0 REFERENCES
Wong, L.S. & Bagshaw, J., 2001. Assessment of the postharvest handling system for broccoli grown in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland, Australia. In Postharvest Handling of Fresh Vegetables, Proceedings of a workshop held in Beijing, 2001. Pub by Australian Centre for International: Agricultural Research, Cnberra, 2001, pp26-32 Prussia, S.E. & Shewfelt, R.L. 1993. Systems Approach to Postharvest Handling. Chapter in Postharvest Handling – A systems approach. Ed. by Shewfelt & Prussia, Pub. by Academic Press, San Diego. pp43-71. Chakraverty, A. & Singh, R.P., 2001. Postharvest Technology, Cereals, Pulses, Fruit and Vegetables. Published by Science Publishers, Inc. Enfield, USA.
Section 15
2
Wills, R., McGlasson, B., Graham, D. & Joyce, D., 1998. Postharvest. An Introduction to the physiology and handling of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. 4th Ed., Published by UNSW. Handbook of Postharvest Technology. Cereals, Fruits, Vegetables, Tea and Spices. Edited by Chakraverty, A., Mujumdar, A.S., Raghavan, G.S.V. & Ramaswamy, H.S. Published by Marsel Dekker, New York, 2003. Kadder, A.A. (Ed), 1992. Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops, 2nd Edition. Publ by University of California, Pub No. 3311.
Dumping from picking container to transport centre
Trasnport containers
Overfilling Ride
crushing
base and top of container
bruisng rubbing
smooth
reducing tyre pressure
attention to tracks
Cooling
Methods
Sunlight/Heat
slows decay organisms
slows respiration
misting water okay
refrigeration water damage shade fruit vegetables
light coloured taurpaulin 10 cm gap between
tarpaulin and fruit allows airflow
Less field contamination
Removal of damaged or
spoiled produce
Section 15
6
HARVEST
AIM REDUCE
QUALITY SELECTION
HARVEST DATE
HIGHLY PERISHABLE
QUALITY
HAND HARVESTING
MACHINE AIDED
MACHINE HARVEST
Bruises (Table 6.1)
Cuts/injury
Diseases
Insect
Bird
Over maturity
Blemishes
Latent damage
Improper picking
Dropping
Dumping from harvest container
Yield
Cooler Anticipated price
Field conditions
Processor demand Early morning
Mechanical damage
Accuracy of selection
Time of day
Pulp temperature at harvest
Machine
Human Acceptable
Unacceptable
QUALITY
Crop choice Capital intensive Cropping patterns Labour required Working conditions Rapid harvest potential
Special breeding
improved
Less Must be trained or skilled
Easiest crop
Already machine harvested
Robotics ?
Not easily damaged
Tubers
Root crops Nuts
Perennial crops - damage
Processing – not handling harvest Obsolescence Social impact of low labour requirements
Processing Tomatoes Corn
Potatoes
Belt conveyors Platforms Moveable worker positions
Accuracy
Damage
Harvest rate
Maturity Grading Multiple harvest
Minimal
Hire more workers
Section 15
7
Integrated Approach to
Handling
Guidelines • How do preharvest cultural factors
affect consumer acceptance? • How does storage at non-optimal
conditions affect quality and consumer acceptance?
• Are handlers who adopt new
methods properly rewarded for their improvements?
Quality Management • Operations Research • Application of Technology and
Engineering • Clearer spec of quality and packing ,
value, consumer perspectives • Preharvest factors = variability in quality
and storage • Mean to predict mathematically
(modelling systems) period of optimal marketability – to specific handling conditions
Food Safety • Agricultural chemicals • Cosmetic appearance • Alternative methods, e.g. organic • Pathogens, e.g. E.coli species • Listeria monocytogenes (refrigeration.
Latent damage • Early detection important • Lower quality increased cost of
production (transportation and sorting add cost)
• Damage incurred at one step but not apparent until later step. o Bruising o Quiescent infections o Physiological disorders o Postharvest stress disorders,
e.g. chilling injury
Section 15
8
TRANSPORTATION FROM FIELD In field
Packhouse
Special breeding
Sellers
Wholesale buyers
Customer
Resistance - mechanical
damage - insect/disease
damage
Harvest - uniform
maturity - once-over
harvest
Appearance
Firmness
Flavour
Appearance
Section 15
9
TRANSPORTATION FROM FIELD
(Kadir) Compression
- Over filled bins - Bottom layers - Shallower bin
Bounced
BRUISING
Field container - wooden – vented – cooling
– smooth surface - plastic liners - drop height important
(Table 6.2, pp31)
Picking container Fruit type = container type
- plastic bucket – softer fruit
- bottom dump – less pot for compression damage
- delicate – pack directly from bucket (peaches)
- very soft delicate – pick into package, e.g. strawberries
1. Avoid extended forklift movement 2. minimise rough handling during loading 3. grade farm/orchard track – keep smooth 4. avid uneven/rough public roads 5. restrict transportation speeds to minimize
free movement of front (vibration) 6. use suspension systems – air shocks best. 7. reduce vehicle tyre pressure 8. plastic liners – bubble wrap – bubbles out –
minimise damage 9. top bin pads for long trips – use of shrouds.
Bin dropped Impact
Section 15
10
PACKING HOUSE OPERATION
(1) Sorting
Economics
Design & Operation of sorting equipment • Optimising
o Accuracy o Sorting
• Evaluation o Sorter productivity o Quality
• Space o Size
• Variable flow o Translation speed o Product loading
• View product o Sorter position o Lighting o Location of reject
“To transform the highly variable product received from the harvest operation into uniform lots of product for shipments that comply with the requirements of the buyer.”